THE first twin-boom drilling and cable installation rig is set to hit Australian shores by December 2008.
Atlas Copco’s twin-boom Cabletec rig is designed for production drilling and rock reinforcement. It features components from the company’s longhole and production rig and has a second boom for grouting and cable insertion.
The rig can drill bolt holes up to 30m long for cut-and-fill or sub-level stopping applications, and has a reach of up to 7.8m. It is equipped with an onboard automated cement making system and a rig control system.
Atlas Copco representative, Stevan Topalovic, says mine sites traditionally use a one-boom rig that drills first but allows break-away dirt to fall on top of the boom.
“Once the drilling is completed, cables are installed and the remaining gaps are filled with cement… Ultimately this means the maintenance times are much higher,” he said.
Twin boom systems feature separate functions for drilling and installation.
The Cabletec`s double configuration enables a hole to be drilled in auto-mode, while the other boom is used to install the grouted cable bolt into the pre-drilled hole. According to Topalovic, maintenance times are greatly reduced as the dirt and debris does not fall on the boom responsible for installing the cables.
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